Soma® Uncovers What Women Want in New Sleep Survey

FORT MYERS, Fla., Nov. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Chico's FAS' CHS intimates brand, Soma®, puts to rest misconceptions preventing women from a good night's rest despite craving longer and deeper sleep – nearly one-half of women in the U.S. say they have difficulty falling asleep or trouble staying asleep.

The new survey examined the sleeping habits and sleep-wear preferences of adult women ages 18+ living in the U.S. Responses from more than 1,000 women across the country revealed that most women, over 70 percent of respondents, say they look forward to going to bed; however, 45 percent worry about being able to fall asleep once under the covers.

When asked to describe their ideal sleep situation, the women cited falling asleep faster, having less stress and anxiety, and feeling cool and not sweaty at the top of their sleep wishlists. Conversely, the most common preventors of deep, restful sleep include:

• Overheated -- More than one-third of women (36 percent) have trouble sleeping because they are hot or sweating; in fact, being hot is a more common complaint than snoring, which is reported by one-fourth of women (24 percent)
• A Restless Mind -- Nearly 6 out of 10 women (57 percent) say they cannot "turn off" their brains, preventing sleep

"The survey results confirm the sleep issues we have been working on for some time," says Mary van Praag, President, Intimates Group at Chico's FAS, Inc. "Feeling hot or sweating at night is exactly why we developed our Cool Nights pajamas, which are made with a signature fabric designed to help keep you cool all night long."

The survey also revealed a common trend in women's sleepwear habits. Respondents describe their ideal sleep scenario with words such as 'rested' and 'comfortable,' revealing that at least one-third of women change into sleepwear as soon as they walk in the door from work or their daily chores. Of women who wear bras to sleep, respondents shared a preference for wireless.

As many as 9 out of 10 women (88 percent) in the U.S. have experienced one or more sleep issues in the last month. To better understand this sleep-loss epidemic, Soma teamed up with "NYC Sleep Doctor" Janet Kennedy, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist with years of specialized experience as a sleep doctor treating sleep disorders.

"So many women today experience sleep problems that leave them feeling run down, fatigued, and unproductive," says Dr. Kennedy. "It's important to take care of sleep by allowing enough time to unwind at the end of the day, unplugging from work and personal business, limiting exposure to blue light from screens, and establishing a relaxing bedtime routine that you look forward to."

The women's intimates brand, Soma, has spent 15 years providing innovative solutions to women who are searching for uncompromising comfort and fit in intimates and loungewear. From Cool Nights® pajamas – Soma's signature ultra-soft, comfortable jersey knit fabric that helps keep you cool all night long – to the Enbliss® and Vanishing® collections of bras and underwear, these solution-oriented designs are developed from critical insights resulting from survey research similar to the sleep survey.

ADDITIONAL SURVEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:

• More than 7 out of 10 women look forward to bed each night and half relax in bed, even when they're not sleeping… but, one-half of women worry about being able to sleep at night.
• On average, women in the U.S. say they get about seven hours of sleep during the week – and only about 15 minutes more than that on weekends.
• Some women experience specific or serious sleep issues that typically require medical attention (e.g., 7 percent of women have a current sleep apnea diagnosis; 5 percent of women say they engage in unwanted behaviors during sleep, such as sleep-walking or eating; etc.)

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

This survey was conducted online within the United States in October 2019 among 1,007 adult-aged women, 18 and older, by a third-party agency and was commissioned by Soma. The sample was diverse regarding age, race, ethnicity, education and U.S. region with virtually all the sample (99 percent) identifying as female in their daily life. Participants were asked questions about their sleep habits and sleepwear preferences, as well as affinity for the Soma brand.

About Soma
The Soma® brand was founded in 2004 for the woman who refuses to compromise – who wants pretty and practical, soft and supportive. Soma offers bras, panties, sleep and loungewear with ingenious solutions that balance beauty and brains. The brand currently operates nearly 300 boutiques and outlets nationwide and is available online at www.soma.com.

ABOUT CHICO'S FAS, INC.
The company, through its brands – Chico's, White House Black Market, Soma and TellTale™ is a leading omnichannel specialty retailer of women's private branded, sophisticated, casual-to-dressy clothing, intimates and complementary accessories.

As of August 3, 2019, the Company operated 1,387 stores in the U.S. and Canada and sold merchandise through 83 international franchise locations in Mexico and 2 domestic franchise airport stores. The company's merchandise is available at www.chicos.com, www.chicosotherack.com, www.whbm.com, www.soma.com and www.mytelltale.com as well as through third-party channels. For more detailed information on the Company, please go to our corporate website at www.chicosfas.com. The information on our corporate website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this press release or incorporated into our federal securities law lings.

SOURCE Chico's FAS, Inc.